Greed nearly cost the life of a Liga voter

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

As the election of the presidency of the Liga ng mga Barangay (the former Association of Barangay Council (ABC) is forthcoming in July 30 as mandated by law,  many moneyed candidates for ex –officio position of a provincial board member have been busily meeting ABC Presidents of towns and cities in some concealed restaurants for some preliminaries. 

Here P50,000 beer monies in the enveloped were surreptitiously sneaked to the hands of voters before the final hundreds of thousands if not a million pesos will be offered to a position that gives only almost one hundred thousand pesos monthly, son of a gun!

A friend told me that this practice in the country of buying those towns and cities' presidents of the Liga is incredible and insane.

“It’s insane for you, but for the moneyed bets, they called it prestige for that elusive title of being called “The Honorable Board Member Juan or Juana Ramanam Amin,” I told him.

Contractor got balls, ordered mayor killed

By Mortz C.Ortigoza

Compared to his counterpart in other provinces, an aggrieved contractor in Nueva Ecija got balls.

Three arrested murder suspects’ incriminated young contractor Christian Saquilabon to be the mastermind in the broad daylight ambushed that killed General Tinio, Nueva Ecija mayor Ferdinand Bote.

Both Saguilabo and the late mayor were into contracting business with government projects.

Diagram and Links on the grisly murder of a mayor.

One of the reasons the mayor was timed by the assassins, his itinerary was patterned when he went to the office of the National Irrigation Administration.

As based on my seasoned experience in the media, every time we go to the office of the NIA, those persons who brought there their more than million pesos’ Sports Utility Vehicle or SUV like what the mayor to his Toyota Fortuner we assumed as contractors looking for probable lucrative projects with either the provincial or regional irrigation’s boss.

Saquilabon and Bote had conflict on the implementation of the P96-million project to moreover develop the Minalungao Convergence Park Zone — a popular tourist destination in Nueva Ecija located in General Tinio.

News reports said the mayor was harassing the young contractor.

Cojuangco to run for governor – So

Mortz C. Ortigoza

ROSALES, Pangasinan – Former congressman Mark Cojuangco told his number one political adviser that he will be filling his candidacy for the governorship of the mammoth Pangasinan province this coming October.

October 1 to 5 are the official dates all over the Philippines for the filling of candidacy of all bets from senators to the town’s council members for next year’s middle term election.

“Gusto niyang tumakbo. Sinabi niya na he is planning to run. At least ngayon galing sa kanya. Sinabi niya na interesado na talaga siyang tumakbo sa governorship," said by Engineer Rosendo So who heads the powerful farmer's groups Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) and Abono Party-List.

BATTLE ROYALE - Former Congressman Mark O. Cojuangco (Left) had told
a political confidant that he will challenge Pangasinan Governor
Amado Espino, III for the Capitol's top post on next year's election.

Cojuangco, a three terms congressman, told So his moist eye for the highest post of the three cities and 44 towns’ province when they met last month somewhere in Pangasinan.

In the 2016 election, a reluctant Cojuangco was prodded by former Urdaneta City Mayor and Ambassador Amadito Perez, Jr. to run against the present governor Amado “Pogi” Espino III.

When asked if on the 2019 poll, Cojuangco’s father mogul Eduardo “Danding’ Cojuangco will help bankroll the former aspiration, So in his signature chuckle said: “Siyempre naman maski paano pag gusto ng anak e kagaya ni Sarah Duterte gustong tumakbo walang magawa si Digong, di ba?”

Danding is the chairman of Forbes 2000’s San Miguel Corporation – a multi-billion dollars behemoth in Asia.

The national chairman of the powerful farmers group cited that the Perezes will be probably commissioning one of them to challenge the reelection of 5th District Congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr. in the May13, 2019 poll.

“Most probably,” the SINAG chief referred to the Perezes who are the nemesis of the Espinos in the 5th Congressional District.

The other member of the illustrious Perez family is outgoing Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo “Bobom” Gregorio Perez IV.

Some sectors are also dangling the name of the young and outgoing Binalonan Mayor Ramon “Monmon” Guico III as a congressional material in the one city and eight town’s district in Eastern Pangasinan.

For the past months, the grapevine went abuzz that the two Espinos will swap positions by running for the governorship and the congressional office.

So said that presently they do not have a vice governorship bet to tandem with the former solon.

“Wala pa, pero madami naman mas mabilis iyong vice governor”.

Presently the names of exiting congressmen Leopoldo Bataoil and Marlyn Primicias Agabas and outgoing Board Member Generoso “Jun” Tulagan, Jr. who will run for the second highest position in Pangasinan have been a topic among political kibitzers.

The three are supporters of the Espinos but the fluidity of politics will make a possibility that one of them will be a probable slate of Cojuangco.

A Pangasinan mayor, who asked for anonymity, said that Cojuangco will soon gather his supporters.

Cojuangco was seen lately gracing the town fiesta of Rosales town.

He told the crowd in that soiree that he will pay them back on the victory they gave him despite losing the race in the May 2016 poll.

Another source said that the former solon had learned a hard political lesson when he lost that gubernatorial bout.

READ MY OTHER ARTICLE:
FILIPINO SENATORS FOR SALE?

Dagupan councilors undergo drug, HIV testing

DAGUPAN CITY – Members of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) underwent voluntary drug tests at the City Health Office on July 11.

This is in support of Resolution No. 7430-2018, requesting all elected and appointed government officials and employees in the city of Dagupan to undergo free drug test in authorized drug testing laboratories authorized, accredited and monitored by the Department of Health (DOH) consistent with the Republic Act 9165.

Councilor Dennis Canto, who authored the resolution, disclosed that the city councilors underwent drug testing to set an example for other government officials and employees to follow.

Can an old Pacquiao outmatch Matthysee?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

When Welterweight pug Manny Pacquiao hit with his successive left power punches the left check and chin of Australian Jeff Horn at the 9^th Round of their 12^th Round championship fight for the Welterweight Title of the World Boxing Organization at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia on July 2, 2017, Horn did not crumble just like Emmanuel Lucero (July 2003), Antonio Barrera (November 2003), and Eric Morales (November 2006) who did not know what hit them on that technical knocked outs  and knocked out’s decisions.

Instead, Horn took the diadem from the Filipino on that bout that many people saw a declining Pacquiao who was cut on that WBO’s title fight.

“He ain’t got no more knocked out power!” I heard a Yank cried.  

Manny Pacquiao versus Martin Lucas Matthysse for the World Boxing Association's World Welterweight Title. Photo Credit: Box Nation

The last knock-out unleashed by the Filipino before the wildly cheering spectators around the world was ten years ago against Puerto Rican’s Miguel Cotto when he mauled the balding prize fighter at the 55^th second of the 12 Round of their November 2009 marquee fight.

Just like Oscar Dela Hoya, the gaunt and sunken eyed Cotto was suspected to be weaker on that bout as he reduced weight from his real weight in the Super Welterweight (154 pounds) to Welterweight (147 pounds) to chase the twelve million dollars purse dangled to him by Promoter Bob Arum at the vacant World Boxing Council’s Diamond Welterweight Title.

From that Cotto’s bout, Father Time (or was it Pacquiao debating streaks in Congress?) had snapped out the explosiveness of the left hand bomb of the 39 years old boxing sensation and senator.

 That money punch did not only give him a cult-like personality before the Filipino voters who even want to reward him as the successor of the country feisty president Rodrigo Duterte when the latter exit the Palace in 2022.

Any Looming Upset?

What if the 35 years old Argentinian Martin Lucas Matthysee (39 wins – 4 loses – 0 draws with 86 percent Knocked Out (KO) ratios) outpoints or knocked out Manny Pacquiao (59-7-2 with 56% K.O’s ratio) on Sunday, would the dazzle and mystify Filipinos still relish for a Pacquiao’s presidency?

Unlike the wild hay makers of Horn, the offensive fighter Matthysee is more calculating before he threw his stiff left jab and fires his signature looping right punch to the opponent’s face.

The difference of Pacquiao, however, to the Argentinian, the former knocked out marquee boxers like Oscar dela Hoya (December 2008), and Ricky Hatton (May 2009) while Matthysee TKOd lesser known opponents that included some drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in various parts of the world but defeated prominent pugilists  Lamont Peterson (TKOd, May 2013)  and the hard hitting Ruslan Provodnikov (April 2015).

In the Danny Garcia’s bout, he gave the American (who is rated No. 6 at the Pound for Pound List of Ring Magazine) a competitive roller coaster fight in the first half of the 12 rounds for the World Boxing Association’s Super World Super Lightweight Title, but Garcia’s jarring power right and left punches on the head and body of Mathysee zapped out his power and Garcia’s dominated him at the second half.

Just like the soccer team of Argentina who succumbed to fatigue in the second half versus Croatia (3-0) at the 2018 World Cup’s elimination in Moscow last month, Matthysee faded in the second half of the rounds and lost the war with Garcia who knocked him down at the 11^th Round.

If the heavy punching Garcia won that Mathysee match in a unanimous decision, can the worn-out Pacquiao do a Garcia by emasculating the Argentinian on Sunday?

Without his K.O power, Pacquiao is pitted with a heavy puncher Matthysee although the latter prowess had been compromised by wear and tear.

The wear and tear that came from his wars with hard hitting Garcia, John Molina, Provodnikov, and Viktor Postol who knocked him out in Round 10 in the vacant World Boxing Council’s World Super Lightweight Title  in October 2015.

Without his explosive KO power, Manny’s saving grace is his excellent foot speed and the now slower but calculating hand speed.

They are his remaining fire powers that the hoi polloi in his country continue to lionized him, they are his remaining weaponry that will not disappoint President Rodrigo Duterte, 73, who will personally attend the fight to cheer him up or to salvage his (Duterte) plunging poll numbers at the recent Social Weather Station. And yes, the 93 years old Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad will probably be seated with Duterte buoying up the once whirling dervish Asian Phenom just like other Asian countries cheering the South Korean strikers who outsmarted and defeated soccer powerhouse Germany in Moscow. Mahathir, to those PUV’s drivers who read this article, had just knocked out one of the heavyweight stars – World Corruption Division in disgraced former PM Najib Razak for the prime minister post of the former British's colony.


READ: DRILON KNOCKED OUT PACQUIAO

(You can read my selected columns at mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)

P170K per vote for Kaps Prexy in this town

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Since the filling of the candidacy for the League of Barangays (the former Association of Barangay Councils) and his slate started last Monday (July 9) and will end on July 13 for the synchronized polls in the country on July 16, I could not forget the expensive political stunts by some village chiefs (Kapitan in the vernacular) who were gung-ho to win the ex-oficio membership in the Sangguniangs Bayan and Panlungsod (Legislative councils in a town or city).

 

Here was an incident in a first class town as narrated by a losing bet to me:

He was egged on by a relative of a congressman to run. Since the cousin of the solon was his patron in his big ticket construction business he almost heeded the advice of the former: Don’t buy the vote of each of the 29 kapitans as other towns and cities did. Let’s have a clean election.

But because his profits were overflowing in the construction business building government projects of the congressman, he did give a pittance or beer monies’ P20, 000 to each of 29 village chiefs.

The rival, a contractor too, thought Kapitan-1 was a tightwad. He confidently offered each of the village chiefs a staggering P100, 000 in a supposed to be prestigious lawmaking position that only gives more than P60, 000 monthly pay.  

Many of the 29 village chiefs who earlier gave their unwavering my- family- would- be- hit- by- lightning loyalty to Kapitan-1, made, son of a gun, a turn-around. 
While some of them returned the P20, 000, the other callous faced son of a b*tch did not bother to return the monies and instead relished the reality that they were padded by the P100, 000 given by Kapitan-2.

P70K reason why this mayor keeps winning elections

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN FABIAN – The main probable reason why the mayor here was undefeated since 2013, 38 pastors from the born again and protestant churches have been storming heaven with vigorous prayers  that each of them get the P70,000 they won in a draw lot from the mayor’s monthly salary even up to his reelection in the 2019 poll.

CHRISTIANS – San Fabian, Pangasinan Mayor Danny Agbayani poses with South Korean visitors who made a courtesy call at his office. Koreans are ubiquitous at this Central Pangasinan's coastal municipality because of their Christian religion and philanthropic missions to help spiritually and socially the people of the rustic town. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

“After continuing my second term in July 2016, I gathered 38 of them for a meeting and told them my idea to help the church,” this first class town mayor Constantine “Danny” Agbayani explained.

He cited that his monthly salary is more than P100, 000 but with deductions from shelter financing program’s Pag – Ibig, social insurance’s PhilHealth, income tax from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, he gets P70,000 only monthly.